Triangular War
Google introduced an Android operating system (OS) specialized for smart watches, cars, and TVs in order to compete with Apple and Samsung who have showed their new product operating system at the Tizen Developer Conference 3 weeks ago. It is clear that Google aims to lead the market not only in the computer and mobile industries but also in product internet-based convergence platforms such as automobiles, electronic appliances, and wearables. An industry professional said, “Large IT companies each have a strong will to be a winner at the 2nd platform war.”
Google introduced various types of Android Oses, each specialized in watches, cars, TVs, low-budget mobile phones, and so on. Google showed its great ambition to build an Android kingdom that dominates all IT fields including cars, smart homes, and wearables.
Google showed Android Auto for automobiles, Android Wear for wearable devices, and Android TV for smart TV all at once on that day.
Google seems to especially want to dominate the automobile industry with Android Auto. The Android Wear platform puts Android smartphone functions into any type of wearable device. Google has officially entered into the wearable market, where Apple and Samsung are currently leading.
The Wall Street Journal said, “Google’s strategy is to make everyone meet Android everywhere, and its final goal is to maintain its current strength and influence in future markets.”
But although Google introduced its own platform targeting the wearable market, it did not reveal any wearable hardware yet. Instead, it showed 3 types of smart watches using Android Wear including the LG Electronics G Watch, Samsung Electronics Gear Live, and Motorola Moto 360.
This might be Google’s strategic plan to absorb Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics to keep its Android territory strong against Apple, rather than to directly attack Apple. Another industry professional said, “It is very important to launch products rapidly in new areas, in order to win the operating system war.” He added, “Google is attempting to occupy the wearable, car, and TV markets based on a strong Android camp to right against Apple indirectly.”
Google also challenged Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics in the smart TV markets. The main feature of its own Android TV platform is to restructure its smartphone operating system into multimedia equipment. Therefore, fierce competition with Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics seems inevitable.
Especially with Samsung Electronics, a very intense war is expected, as Google is now trying to target the emerging markets with its Android One, a platform for low-budget smartphones below US$100. Sundar Pichai, executive vice president of Google, said in his keynote speech, “Our goal is to create low budget but high quality smartphones with components available anywhere.”